“Our original goal was just to pay for coffee and parking for the families at Royal University Hospital, and maybe the meals. We just had very limited goals because we didn’t think it would go very far,” Hergott told local radio station BoltFM.

Kellington says the fact that it’s affected the world is “mindblowing.”

“For the fact that it’s affected the entire country, and I guess perhaps the world… it’s just been mind-blowing,” she told the radio station.

Does all the money go to the Humboldt Broncos?

The president of the Humboldt Broncos told media the funds were primarily going to be used to support the families of the victims.

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“We want to make sure we do the right thing to support our families,” Kevin Garinger said, adding that the amount of money raised was “staggering.”

But it will still take several months to distribute the money raised so far for the victims, according to a GoFundMe spokesperson.

WATCH: Humboldt Broncos say GoFundMe money to be ‘primarily’ used to support victims’ families

1:08Humboldt Broncos say GoFundMe money to be ‘primarily’ used to support victims’ families

Humboldt Broncos say GoFundMe money to be ‘primarily’ used to support victims’ families

The spokesperson declined to say whether the money would be dispersed only among the families of the 16 people killed, or if it would also go to the 13 others who were injured, according to The Canadian Press.

A campaign of that scale presents logistical challenges, which GoFundMe said it’s still working through.

GoFundMe has previously charged a fee of five per cent to offset the costs associated with the site, but in 2017, changed the platform’s pricing structure to a voluntary tipping model so someone’s “entire donation will go to the beneficiary of the campaign,” spokesperson Rachel Hollis told Global News.

“What’s most phenomenal is the fact that people started giving in Western Canada, and it’s spread across the country, it’s spread across the states, and now the donations have come from 65 different countries,” Rob Solomon, CEO of GoFundMe, told Global News.

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The biggest drive seen on the website was related to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, which raised over US$21.5 million.

That’s followed by the Las Vegas Victims Fund, which raised US$11.8 million, with the Support Victims of Pulse Shooting in 2016 that raised US$7.8 million (C$9.88 million) being bumped to number four.

How did it get so big?

“We’ve never seen anything like this in Canada,” Solomon said.

Experts say that’s because it struck a chord in the hearts of everyone around the world.

“It’s such a tragic event, obviously in Canada, hockey is just as important as any social institution. People knew these kids, if they didn’t, they knew kids just like this, so it’s part of the social fabric,” Solomon explained.

“It’s a bunch of young people so that makes us feel it’s more tragic,” Steve Joordens, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto Scarborough said.

“But what is more of a factor, is that in some way, everyone has or knows someone who has a kid in soccer, hockey etc. A lot of people around the world can identify with that and can feel what a kick in the stomach it would be,” he said.